Chapter 40: The Koi Flower

Chapter 40: The Koi Flower

"Beauty Lanterns" officially launched on the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, swiftly capturing the hearts of Jing County's young maidens. Taking advantage of the festive season before household discipline tightened, over twenty girls and young wives flocked daily to make lanterns, effectively exhausting the county's pool of well-off families willing to indulge their daughters' whims.

Though not much silver was earned, Xianjin made many acquaintances, particularly women with purchasing power—like the daughter of the Prefect's clan, the sister of the county's registrar, the newlywed beauty married to the county office scribe, and a certain plump young lady from a wealthy family.

Speaking of this plump young lady, Xianjin had a vivid impression of her.

The girl was round and rosy, paying three hundred coins upon arrival to reserve ten lanterns she would craft slowly. Xianjin promptly enlisted Aunt Zhang's full assistance for this major customer and sent Wang Sansuo to buy two boxes of pastries from the entrance. She herself ceased being a mascot, carrying a copper brazier as she exaggeratedly praised the girl beside her, "Wow! You've chosen an excellent bamboo strip!"

"The diagonal fold is so neat!"

"This bowl of paste is perfectly thick!"

Xianjin sensed Aunt Zhang's eye-rolling, glancing at her lips. Oh, Aunt Zhang had pre-prepared the paste, which was given away...

Despite flattery falling flat, the top salesperson wasn't deterred by awkwardness, turning to sincerely praise the customer's dexterity—unbeknownst to her, the customer executed each step correctly, yet the final products were all defective.

Of the ten prototypes, only one was completed. The failures either had large ink-stained holes, bamboo strips glued incorrectly making the lantern square, or paper stuck together during folding, resulting in lanterns too thick for light to penetrate.

Seeing the major customer frustrated and embarrassed, Xianjin quickly served tea, smiling, "...Lotus elegance, plum fragrance, bamboo tranquility, but no one can say an unknown flower isn't beautiful. Your lantern may not look like a regular one, but it's uniquely beautiful!"

Xianjin lifted the dark, non-luminous, paper-mass masquerading as a postmodernist "lantern," genuinely and earnestly, "For example, this one. Though called a lamp, it doesn't shine. From a Confucian dialectical perspective, it's quite intriguing. During the Lantern Festival night parade, while thousands of lamps illuminate, you alone walk into the night. Everyone else's lamps are bright, except yours. Think about it, will people look at you or those ordinary, brightly lit lamps?"

With all lamps alight except one, where would everyone's attention be?

Certainly on the unlit one!

This young girl wasn't old, around twelve or thirteen, with chubby cheeks that formed a rosy, tender cushion, her bright eyes hidden in flesh, resembling a carefree, blissful koi.

Upon hearing Xianjin's words, the Koi Girl sniffled, her voice soft and sticky, "You speak interestingly, Confucianism, dialectics...not unlike what my father rattles off daily!"

Xianjin smiled, "Your father must be a wise man."

The Koi Girl, poised to blurt out a response, understood Xianjin's words. Forgetting her tears and sniffles, she opened her eyes wide, revealing dimples, "You speak similarly to my father. My father is a wise man, and you're praising yourself as one too!"

The Koi Girl covered her mouth, giggling, her hands bearing several chubby dimples, her voice soft and glutinous, "You're really fun!"

Ah!

The Koi Girl's smile, covering her mouth, resembled the nationwide popular, neckless female celebrity Xiao Xiong Hua Hua of later times!

Xianjin felt a barrage of cuteness hit her heart!

Girls are truly adorable!

Xianjin, clutching her chest, packed up the...well...distinctively beautiful postmodern artwork created by Koi Hua Hua, then requested Aunt Zhang to tear a beautifully patterned gold-dusted coral paper. Using a reed pen, she drew several cute, tail-wagging fish on it, meticulously crafting a double-layered flower lantern to gift the Koi Girl, "...Wishing you a happy New Year, peace, and joy!"

The Koi Girl's eyes curved like a crescent moon in laughter.

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Chen Zuo Niang brought her younger sister You Niang to support the event. Seeing the crowded shop with four or five square tables outside fully occupied, and several familiar young ladies from gentry families eating wontons while waiting, Chen Zuo Niang settled her sister and came to assist Xianjin.

Chen Zuo Niang was very efficient. Seeing Wang Sansuo unable to sort the bamboo strips, she rolled up her sleeves and began separating six strips for each lantern, tying them with thin strings and neatly stacking them. When customers arrived, she could hand out a bundle.

Next, using broad bamboo strips as containers, she portioned out the paste, then grouped six strips, two lumps of paste, and two sheets of paper as a set, organizing the raw materials into many units.

In the end, Xianjin handled sales and accounting, Chen Zuo Niang delivered sets of materials needed for one lantern to customers, and Aunt Zhang instructed how to make the lanterns.

What was Wang Sansuo doing?

Wang Sansuo, armed with the ten coins Xianjin gave her, bought a bowl of wontons and stood side by side with the waiting girls, focused on eating.

The fifteenth day was the busiest. They worked from morning until the sun nearly set, as Shuixi Street's alleys strung long ropes, merchants closed their doors, hanging colorful paper strips and lantern couplets, inserting candles in trees to create "hundred-branch lamps."

The old residence sent food, unfortunately missing the mealtime, leaving the dishes cold.

Chen Zuo Niang intended to make do with the cold food, but Xianjin firmly disagreed, "When there's much work, little food, and cold meals, it's not a sign of longevity."

Noticing Aunt Zhang, who hadn't wilted after pounding half a month of rice cakes, now sitting on the threshold massaging her arms, she thought and said, "Today we sold over four hundred lanterns. Let's split half a string of coins each! Tonight, no Beauty Lanterns! I'll treat everyone to see the lanterns!"

With shops closed and eateries likely shuttered, sending people back to the old residence hungry after a day's labor would be disheartening—the Lantern Festival surely had vendors selling hot food.

"…The wontons from the seafood stall around the corner are delicious. The shrimp is finely ground, mixed with dried seaweed and scallions, then poured over with hot broth. Mmm, the flavor!"

"The white rice cakes from the backstreet are also good! I saw them grind the rice paste, adding just a touch of brown sugar, actually using pear juice for seasoning!"

"The pancakes near the splashing bridge are wrapped in crispy pork fat and scallions, fragrant and crunchy."

…

Wang Sansuo, the only one who ate her fill, led the way in search of food, chattering nonstop in critique and appreciation.

Four famished spirits trailed behind her, green lights in their eyes growing hungrier with every word, saliva increasing.

Xianjin gritted her teeth, "Wang Sansuo, half a string less!"

…

After having half a string deducted from her share, Wang Sansuo sulked for a bit. After Xianjin, who had eaten glutinous rice cakes, coaxed her with a sticky maltose candy, she was led by Aunt Zhang into the various dance performances by street performers.

Xianjin and the Chen sisters aimlessly wandered through the bustling areas.

Jing County wasn't large, roughly the size of a small county in later times. This Lantern Festival was splendidly arranged, with three grand lantern towers erected in the city, fireworks and firecrackers set off, each with ingenious designs. The smell of gunpowder stung the nose and eyes, confetti-like paper fluttered in the streets, and lanterns hung in layers on long poles—pearl inverted lotus, twelve linked lanterns, eighteen scholars, spring lists and couplets, windmill wheels...

As Xianjin walked along, she couldn't take in everything, indeed, she was awed by ancient aesthetics.

A sense of refined opulence—after all, not many ancients shared the taste for flamboyance and stamp-collecting of the Qianlong Emperor of the Kangxi-Qianlong era.

Beyond its elegance and prosperity, Xianjin noticed something else - the people here weren't poor. In a truly impoverished place, common folk wouldn't venture out with their families during festivals, genuinely happy and enjoying themselves.

Every person who passed by Xianjin, even if dressed simply or without much to their name, wore an expression of profound contentment on their face.

Certainly, there were those in poverty, but even if their clothes bore patches, they were neat and clean overall.

Xianjin sighed, "The official in charge of Jing County is indeed a good one."

Chen Youniang laughed heartily, while Chen Zuo Niang, her face flushed, turned away awkwardly to look at the ever-burning lamps under the Wuxi Bridge.

Xianjin was puzzled.

Chen Youniang whispered conspiratorially, "...Since the last magistrate was ambushed and killed by bandits in the mountains, our Jing County has yet to have a new magistrate in place. Only a scholar-turned eighth-rank vice-magistrate is handling affairs..."

Chen Youniang chuckled softly, "He's my sister's betrothed husband."

Ah, it was akin to praising a man for his work in front of his wife.

Fortunately, she didn't say anything rash like, "The cobblestones outside the shop often accumulate water; the government must be taking bribes and not doing their job"...

Xianjin smiled, lowering her voice as well, "Your sister certainly has good taste!"

Chen Youniang, filled with pride, replied, "It's not my sister's good taste, but Great-Grandfather's!"

Ah, right, this was ancient times. Marriages were arranged by parents and matchmakers; the opinions of the younger generation were worth nothing, no, less than nothing. After all, flatulence at least makes a sound, whereas the younger ones dared not utter a peep about their marriages.

The great-grandfathers of the Left and Right Niangs were the patriarchs of the Chen family, the Seventh Uncle Ancestor mentioned by Lady Qu.

A wealthy merchant marrying into a position of real power within the county administration would be a stunning match even in modern times.

Xianjin nodded, agreeing, "The head of the county paired with the eldest daughter of our Chen family's venerable elder is a fitting match, a fitting match indeed. Once this vice-magistrate completes three years of outstanding service and slowly climbs the ranks, given his young age, reaching the positions of Prefect or Governor is just around the corner, just around the corner!"

Chen Zuo Niang finally turned around, silencing her sister's talkative mouth before gently nudging Xianjin's shoulder in reproach, "Don't speak nonsense! What climbing slowly, Prefect or Governor! He's only an eighth-rank official, and not even a full-fledged imperial officer!"

Her voice lowered slightly, "It wasn't Great-Grandfather's decision either. It was when Eldest Uncle was at the height of his influence, serving as the head official of Chengdu Prefecture, that the marriage was arranged..."

As she spoke, her eyes dimmed slightly.

Xianjin immediately understood the unspoken implications. The marriage had been arranged when her father was in office. Now that he was gone, would the engagement still hold? Had the other party agreed to the marriage because of the Chen family's Eldest Uncle, then a sixth-rank Prefect?

Xianjin saw Chen Zuo Niang's visible melancholy.

Such a capable and efficient young woman...

Xianjin draped her arm around Chen Zuo Niang's shoulders, laughing, "Who cares about eighth-rank or sixth-rank officials! Even the Grand Secretary of the Imperial Academy is just a title! Our family has money, earning more silver in a month than his ten years' salary! Listen well, even after marriage, you must safeguard your dowry. Every copper coin must be spent on yourself!"

This was pure nonsense.

Even if one earned eight lifetimes' worth of an official's salary in a month, a businessman would still bow respectfully and humbly before someone from the court, even if they were just a lowly, unranked clerk.

Chen Zuo Niang knew that Xianjin was trying to comfort her, and she smiled, her lips curling slightly.

Just as Xianjin finished speaking, a soft and tender voice emerged from the colorful lights, "Sister! Beautiful Lantern Sister!"

Lanterns were everywhere, making it hard to pinpoint where the voice came from.

Xianjin stood on tiptoe to look.

Amidst the throngs of people, a dark spot suddenly appeared among the brightly lit lanterns.

This black dot quickly pushed forward through the crowded masses, like a salmon swimming upstream, brimming with determination. In no time, it reached Xianjin.

Ah, it was Miss Koi Hua Hua.

Seeing that she held an empty wooden pole in her hand, Xianjin followed it down to...that postmodern performance art lantern that was a light but refused to shine...

Indeed, in a sea of brightness, one would instantly notice the dark spot.

Xianjin greeted her naturally with a smile, "...Did you come from Shuidong Street? Are there lantern towers over there too? Are they beautiful?"

Noticing that no one accompanied Miss Koi Hua Hua, unsure whether she had swum upstream too fast or was indeed alone, Xianjin asked, "Did you come out by yourself?"

No matter how good the local official was, a young lady should still be cautious when venturing out alone.

Look at Suzhou City; the pitiful Ms. Zhen Yinglian was kidnapped and became the secondary character Xiang Ling of the Twelve Beauties of Jinling.

Xianjin pulled the little girl closer, preparing to ask more, but Miss Koi Hua Hua turned excitedly and waved back, "Brother! Brother! This is the proprietress of 'Beautiful Lantern' who said, 'I walk alone amidst ten thousand lights!'"

Xianjin smiled and looked back, but her smile froze on her face.

Miss Koi Hua Hua's brother, following closely behind his sister, also froze when he saw Xianjin's face clearly.

Damn!

He should have known!

In this Jing County, one could count on one hand the number of bosses smart enough to devise all sorts of tricks just to sell goods and make money!

His chubby sister, when she left, had tears welling up as she held that non-illuminating lantern, repeating:

"I walk alone amidst ten thousand lights!"

"Bamboo is elegant, plum blossoms fragrant, even unknown little flowers are beautiful!"

"Even if everyone else is delicate like willows in the wind, can't I be beautiful as a round piggy all by myself?"

Then the sister started shedding golden tears.

What were they talking about?

Is it about the lanterns?

How did we end up discussing height, weight, and body management again!?

He secretly believed that the first two comments might have been made by others, but the last one was definitely added by his sister herself.

However, once his sister brings out the tears, his father always forces him to comply.

Thus, along their journey, he watched helplessly as his sister happily carried around a pitch-black lantern, receiving countless looks of shock and disdain...

He should have seen this coming!

This shameless way of making money could only come from the evergreen tree that is Chen Ji Paper Shop!